the day we met chen duling happened to be the coldest day in beijing since the beginning of the new year. she arrived as promised, wrapped in a coat and holding a cup of hot coffee.
as the interview was about to begin, the photography studio—with its heater turned off—quickly filled with chill. to cooperate with the shoot, chen duling slowly removed her coat. with the lingering chill still visible between her brows, she gently asked the reporter if they felt cold, then thoughtfully handed over a hand warmer.
with long, wavy hair and an effortlessly refined look, once the lights came on, she was still the familiar “perfect campus belle” that people remembered. but as the conversation turned to her decade-long acting journey, she shed that youthful innocence, appearing calm and mature, much like a female lead who’s weathered twists and turns on screen.
in 2014, chen duling, while still a sophomore in university, went viral online because of a simple ID photo. her fresh, delicate face led countless netizens to call her their “white moonlight”. soon after, she was chosen by screenwriter rao xueman and director alec su to play the female lead in the film <the left ear>.
“it was only after receiving the offer for <the left ear> that i started to consider becoming an actress,” chen duling recalled.
by the time she graduated, she was seen as a “golden girl” in the public’s eyes: she had the stunning appearance of a youth film heroine, the brilliant mind of a STEM student, and a big-screen debut with both box office success and critical acclaim. on one hand, she was full of curiosity and anticipation for acting; on the other, she clearly understood that her entry into the industry was largely due to luck, and the road to truly becoming an actress would be long and arduous.
“when i first started out, many of the roles i took were like mirrors, reflecting either who i was, or some familiar fragment of myself. the characters often resembled my own image or certain qualities i possessed,” she said, “so whenever i portrayed a character, i tended to start from my own experiences, as if searching my memories for answers to fill out the character.”
a producer once remarked about chen duling: “her face is too pure; it’s not suitable for complex roles.” at the time, the industry expected her to stick to idol dramas and sweet female leads, but she said: “i don’t want to be defined.”